Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica used its address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly to openly advocate for Rebeca Grynspan’s candidacy for the organization’s Secretary-Generalship and to raise concerns regarding the political and human rights situations in Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela.
The speech was delivered by Costa Rica’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Boris Vasir Marchegiani Carrero, who argued that the multilateral system is facing a period of immense pressure due to international fragmentation, armed conflicts, transnational organized crime, and the effects of climate change.
“No State—I repeat, no State—can face the challenges common to us all on its own,” the diplomat stated during his address.
Marchegiani championed multilateralism as a tool for preserving peace, fostering sustainable development, and protecting human rights, while acknowledging that the United Nations needs to demonstrate a greater capacity to deliver results.
He noted that Costa Rica advocates for an organization that is “more agile, efficient, and transparent”—one that sets priorities, eliminates duplication, manages resources responsibly, and evaluates program outcomes.
A central focus of the address was the candidacy of Costa Rican national Rebeca Grynspan to succeed António Guterres as Secretary-General.
Costa Rica formally submitted her candidacy to the United Nations in March 2026.
“Costa Rica firmly believes that the next Secretary-General should be a Latin American woman—specifically, Rebeca Grynspan,” Marchegiani told the assembly.
Marchegiani described Grynspan as a leader with political, economic, and multilateral experience, asserting that her insider knowledge of the United Nations could be leveraged to drive institutional change.
Warning regarding Nicaragua
Costa Rica also devoted part of its address to the situation in Nicaragua, a country with which it shares its northern border.
Marchegiani expressed the Costa Rican government’s “deep concern” regarding what he described as the erosion of fundamental freedoms, the persecution of critical voices, the closing of civic space, religious persecution, and reports of human rights violations.
“As a neighboring nation that has welcomed hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans, we maintain our firm commitment to defending their rights and restoring the rule of law,” he noted.
The diplomat also linked the border with Nicaragua to another issue: illegal mining.
He stated that transnational criminal organizations have driven this activity in the border region, causing environmental damage and creating risks for public health, the economy, and regional security. This concern was also reflected in reports on Costa Rica’s statement.
“Illegal mining driven by transnational criminal organizations in our border area with Nicaragua has caused severe environmental destruction,” he asserted.
Cuba and Venezuela also featured in the speech
Costa Rica also addressed the situation in Cuba and reiterated its call for respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Regarding Venezuela, Marchegiani stated that Costa Rica continues to monitor unfolding events and expressed the hope that dialogue, respect for the will of the people, and the functioning of democratic institutions would prevail.
The remarks came against the backdrop of the country having toughened its diplomatic stance on Cuba throughout 2026.
In a previous address to the UN, Costa Rica had pointed to restrictions on fundamental freedoms and called for free and transparent elections.
Costa Rica Reaffirmed Its Abolition of the Army
In the closing remarks of his address, Marchegiani revisited a key historical element of Costa Rican foreign policy: the abolition of the army.
“Costa Rica abolished its army more than seven decades ago because it believed that international law could offer greater security than weapons,” he stated—a sentiment he chose to reiterate before the General Assembly.
Marchegiani affirmed that the country would continue to champion dialogue, international cooperation, and the pursuit of consensus.
“Dialogue will prove more powerful than confrontation, the law more enduring than force, and cooperation the only path to a truly sustainable peace,” he concluded.
Marchegiani delivered the address after assuming the role of Costa Rica’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in August.
Marchegiani ultimately delivered the national statement following the departure of then-Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar, who had originally led the Costa Rican delegation in New York.